Quality of Life

Thuringia. The feel-good state with extras.

Thuringia is famous for the original Thuringian sausage, Wartburg Castle – which was added to the UNESCO world heritage list in 1999 – the legendary Rennsteig hiking trail through the Thuringian Forest and Goethe and Schiller, co-founders of the ‘Weimar Classicism’ literary and cultural movement. Come and see for yourself! Living here is good for body and soul: the quality of life is great, there is a huge range of cultural activities on offer, and we’re an up-to-date, family-friendly state.

Visit Thuringia!

Building & Living

At home in Thuringia

The range of housing options here includes a home of your own in the countryside or a restored villa near the city center. The residential market is not over-heated and it is not too difficult to find the right home in many parts of the state. House prices and rents are among the cheapest in Germany, although housing is more expensive and difficult to find in the bigger, more sought-after cities like Erfurt, Weimar and Jena. Rural areas represent particularly good value and in many cases, it is only 15 minutes’ drive to the autobahn if you are heading for a major center in Thuringia and beyond.

Renting

Thuringia has become famous as a place of affordable rental housing. The cheapest rentals (EUR 3.66 /m²) are in Kyffhäuserkreis, a district in the north. Elsewhere, you can expect to pay from EUR 4/m² to 7/m² for a 70 m² apartment, depending on the location, with prices in Jena reaching an average of almost EUR 8/m². Many cities and municipalities provide tenants and landlords with a representative rent index for their area.

Freehold Apartments

Brand-new good-quality freehold apartments start at EUR 2,300/m² in Erfurt and EUR 2,800/m² in Jena. Top-quality apartments in Erfurt and Jena sell for as much as EUR 3,300 to 4,500/m², while you can have your own home in Gotha or Suhl for around EUR 2,000/m². A cheaper option is to buy an existing home.

Building a Home

Prices for bare land vary according to region and specific location. Prices in cities like Apolda and Schmalkalden begin around EUR 15/m², but you can expect to pay at least EUR 140/m² in Erfurt, Jena and Weimar, where prices in the more exclusive suburbs can top EUR 450/m². Land in rural areas can be purchased for less than EUR 5/m². The Thuringian ‘Landesamt für Vermessung und Geoinformation’ authority provides an online land value information system called BORIS-TH so you can look up land values for sections throughout the state.

Combining work and family

Thuringia is family friendly. Here you can enjoy your career without compromising on family life. Many companies offer flexible working hours, places in nearby child care centers or financial subsidies. There are many types of daycare center, and 98 percent of children between the ages of three and six are enrolled in some form of early childhood education.

Excellent child care

The available child care facilities make it easier to harmonize family life and challenges at work. Our 1,300 daycare centers look after more than 98,000 children. Over 90 percent of small children are enrolled in child care. This is one of the best rates in Germany.

Welcome to Thuringia!

The international team at the Welcome Center Thuringia assists skilled personnel from all over the world with their first steps in Thuringia. The team acts as the central contact point for those looking for advice, authorities, consulting offices, business associations and initiatives.

Childcare

Every child in Thuringia over the age of two is guaranteed full-time care and education in an early childhood center or after-school care from the age of two until they finish elementary school. Children in Thuringia can attend kindergarten from the age of two. Under twos are cared for by at-home caregivers/educators and day nurseries. Our 1,300 daycare centers look after more than 98,000 children and at-home caregivers are responsible for around 1,000 children.

The next generation is well looked after at elementary school too. Every child is entitled to after-school care from the day they start school until they finish elementary school. After-school care supports and complements the home and school environments. Many elementary schools also offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities and Sports.

Under the umbrella of the State Development Corporation of Thuringia, ThAFF, the Thuringian Agency for Skilled Labor Recruitment, runs a service center for combining career and family. The center advises and assists families, employers and businesses in all aspects of childcare and care for family members. It also provides reliable information about childcare choices in Thuringia.

A Paradise for Nature Lovers

Whether you are looking for a short holiday or staying forever: With its natural scenery of primeval forests, winding valleys and vast planes, Thuringia offers almost every outdoor leisure activity and enjoyment in nature:

Into the green: Hiking, mountain biking, paragliding

Active in winter: tobogganing, luge and skiing

Aquatic fun for water lovers: water parks

Forests and Waterways

Thuringia is famous for its vast swathes of green. Thirty-two percent of the state is forested, making it one of the leafiest states in Germany. Three mountain ranges – Harz, Rhön and the Thuringian Forest – shape the geography, and fall is a riot of color, especially in the 7,600-hectare Hainich National Park, the largest continuous deciduous forest in Europe. As well as an impressive walkway through the tree tops, there are rare wildcats and hidden idyllic waterways.

The beauty of the river landscapes in Thuringia is irresistible. The Saale, Unstrut, Werra, Schwarza and Ilm rivers each has their own unique beauty. If you like swimming, you’ll find water nearby wherever you are. Thirty-three natural bathing areas provide for sport, recreation and rest. There are also water parks and thermal spa areas such as Bad Salzungen and Zeulenroda with a variety of bathing options and vacation activities.

If you enjoy outdoor recreation, on land or water or in the air, you’ll fit right in here. You can go hiking, riding, swimming, rafting, surfing, paragliding or climbing, play golf, take a ride in a rubber dinghy, and much more. The ‘greens’ of the attractive golf courses are set against a beautiful green natural backdrop.

Thuringia is one of Germany’s most popular regions for hiking. The almost 170-kilometer-long Rennsteig is the oldest network of hill trails in the Thuringian Forest.

In winter, skiers make the most of hundreds of kilometers of cross-country ski trails and state-of-the-art ski lifts up the slopes for alpine skiing and snowboarding. The training tracks used by professional cross-country skiers are open to the public and supplement Thuringia’s already impressive network of skiing trails. A recent highlight was the construction in Oberhof in September 2009 of an indoor ski run for Nordic winter sports that offers ideal training conditions for top sportspeople and an opportunity for amateurs to have a go too.

Active or chilling out: Wellness in the forest and yoga in the treetops

Medical care: Modern hospitals and medical facilities

Wellness for Body and Soul

Salt water, moor, sulphur, mineral springs and thermal water: Thuringia abounds in the healing properties of nature that have stood the test of time. The Thuringian Forest and the many health resorts offer the perfect place to relax, with everything from traditional wellness and spa treatments to the latest relaxation techniques to ensure your stay is restful and restorative.

Thuringia has 45 hospitals and 34 preventive care and rehabilitation facilities that provide general and emergency medical care. Patients are very satisfied with the care they receive at the hospitals and medical facilities: a survey conducted by a major daily newspaper showed that a majority of hospital patients felt well cared for and would happily go to the same hospital again if they needed treatment.

There are around 8,870 doctors working in Thuringia’s hospitals and medical practices. This is 10 percent more than in 2003, and the number continues to grow, due mainly to the arrival of qualified doctors from other countries. Government subsidies have been put in place to ensure that the rising demand for family doctors and specialists will be met, particularly outside the main population Centers.

Classicism meets inspiring modern style

A fascinating and formative history, a stunning array of valuable art and cultural treasures, world-famous personalities – Thuringia offers so much for young and old alike. It’s known as the Land of Poets and Thinkers, and no wonder, with cultural icons such as the architecture of Weimar, Wartburg Castle and the Krämer Bridge in Erfurt that have spread its fame far and wide.

Historic Cities

In Erfurt, a stroll over Krämer Bridge takes you back in time to the Middle Ages: narrow alleys, romantic squares and interesting buildings make Europe’s oldest bridge with houses built on it the jewel in the crown of Thuringia’s state capital.

Think of Weimar and the names Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Friedrich Schiller spring to mind immediately. Germany’s best-known poets wrote most of their work in the decades they spent in Thuringia. In 1919, Walter Gropius began the world-renowned Bauhaus movement in Weimar, which was also the place where giants like Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and the painter and graphic designer Lyonel Feininger did some of their best work.

Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner and Johann Sebastian Bach, who was born in Eisenach in 1865, are just some of the musicians who called Thuringia home. In a play on Bach’s name, which means ‘stream’ in German, Beethoven is said to have remarked: “He should not be called ‘stream’, but rather ‘ocean’.”

Cultural Life

Thuringia has more than 200 theaters, opera houses, museums and orchestras. Even in Germany, this is exceptional. They include the National Theater in Weimar, Meininger Theater and the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha. The smaller venues, like the Liebhabertheater Großkochberg on the European Route of Historic Theaters, are well worth a look too, with their authentic charm and the flair of a grand history. The cultural highlights each summer include the Domstufenfestspiele on the steps of the cathedral in Erfurt, the Jenaer Kulturarena and the Kunstfest in Weimar.

Cultural events for young people are in great demand. Concerts with alternative singers and songwriters, exhibitions by up-and-coming artists and festivals on a more intimate scale make the cultural scene for young people in Thuringia a very lively one.

Experience history

Thuringia is known as a land of castles. Romanesque village churches and huge cathedrals, bizarre knights’ castles and baronial palace complexes, classicist theaters and buildings are everywhere.

The Wartburg near Eisenach

High above the city of Eisenach sits Wartburg Castle – the most famous fortress in Thuringia. Founded around 1067 by Ludwig the Springer, it was – among other things – the home of Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia and the refuge of Martin Luther. Disguised as Junker Jörg, the Reformer translated the New Testament of the Bible at Wartburg Castle. Today the queen of Thuringia’s fortresses is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Art treasures

The passion that some dukes and princes had for collecting and fostering the arts is the reason why Thuringia is so rich in collections of art, nature and cultural treasures in its many fortresses and castles. The Ducal Museum in Gotha displays artistic treasures from antiquity to the modern age, including one of the oldest Egyptian collections in Germany.

Wartburg and other Castles

Like pearls on a string, castles line the banks of the Saale River, which has separated Franconia, Thuringia and Saxony from the Slavic Sorbs through the centuries. The well-preserved buildings and grounds are a testament to the skill of those who constructed them.

Knights’ castles like the ‘Drei Gleichen’, Creuzburg, Runneburg and, of course, the Wartburg, which has been singled out for UNESCO world cultural heritage status, allow us a glimpse into how our ancestors lived. Luther’s translation of the New Testament while at the Wartburg makes this castle one of great historic significance for Thuringia and also the world. Louis (Ludwig) the Springer began it all in 1067 when he built the fortress on a 400-meter-high cliff in Eisenach.

Castles

Thuringia is known as a land of castles. In the royal cities of Gotha, Altenburg and Rudolstadt, but in many other cities too, beautifully restored castles now house interesting exhibitions. A visit to Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha opens our eyes to the Baroque era. On the other side of the Saale Valley, there is a unique grouping of three castles (Old castle, Rococo castle and Renaissance castle) linked by scenic castle gardens – the Dornburg Castles.

Thuringian cuisine

Thuringia‘s culinary delicacies are talked about everywhere. Gastronomical delights await gourmets but not just in terms of Bratwurst and Thuringian dumplings. Summers and winters alike, you will be welcomed in Thuringia with a smile and invited to discover the many different faces of the state.

Thuringian Rostbratwurst and dumplings have made a name for themselves all over the world, but there are many other culinary delights for you to sample. Care to try? The recipes are all there – from ‘beer soup’ and ‘onion soup’ to delicious pork ‘Mutzbraten’, ‘Hasenrücken’ or saddle of hare, Schwarzbierbrätl marinated in black lager and mustard, ‘Schaalaer Apfelsuppe’ (hot or cold apple ‘soup’ with wine) and Schnapskuchen, a sweet treat.

The student cities of Erfurt, Weimar and Jena are bursting with cafes offering alternative and international dishes, organically grown coffee and home-made cake. Health food shops sell organically grown food, and there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian Restaurants.

7210 Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering

7220 Research and experimental development on social sciences and humanities

7300 Advertising and market research

7310 Advertising

7320 Market research and public opinion polling

7400 Other professional, scientific and technical activities

7410 Specialised design activities

7420 Photographic activities

7430 Translation and interpretation activities

7490 Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.

7500 Veterinary activities

N Administrative and support service activities

7700 Rental and leasing activities

7710 Renting and leasing of motor vehicles

7720 Renting and leasing of personal and household goods

7730 Renting and leasing of other machinery, equipment and tangible goods

7740 Leasing of intellectual property and similar products, except copyrighted works

7800 Employment activities

7810 Activities of employment placement agencies

7820 Temporary employment agency activities

7830 Other human resources provision

7900 Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities

8000 Security and investigation activities

8010 Private security activities

8020 Security systems service activities

8030 Investigation activities

8100 Services to buildings and landscape activities

8110 Combined facilities support activities

8120 Cleaning activities

8130 Landscape service activities

8200 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities

8210 Office administrative and support activities

8220 Activities of call centres

8230 Organisation of conventions and trade shows

8290 Business support service activities n.e.c.

O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security

8400 Public administration and defence; compulsory social security

P Education

8500 Education

8540 Higher education

Q Human health and social work activities

8600 Human health activities

8700 Residential care activities

8800 Social work activities without accommodation

R Arts, entertainment and recreation

9000 Creative, arts and entertainment activities

9100 Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities

9200 Gambling and betting activities

9300 Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities

S Other service activities

9400 Activities of membership organisations

9500 Repair of computers and personal and household goods

9600 Other personal service activities

T Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use

9700 Activities of households as employers of domestic personnel

9800 Undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of private households for own use

U Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies

9900 Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies

all technology sectors

Automotive industry

Optics/Optoelectronics

Environmentally friendly generation of energy/Energy storage

Solar energy

Wind energy

Hydropower

Bioenergy

Geothermal energy

Energy storage

Greentech

Energy efficiency

Building services

Energy-efficienct products

Energy-efficienct production prozesses and cross-sectional technologies

Energy services

Material efficiency

Raw material and material-efficient products

Raw material and material-efficient production processes

Raw material and material-efficient production enviroment

Waste management and recycling

Sustainabel water management

Air pollution control

Sustainable mobility

Electromobility: electric powertrain

Electromobility: energy supply

Conventional powertrain

Vehicle optimization

Mobility systems and transport logistic

Mechanical and plant engineering, metalworking

Mechanical and plant engineering

Metalworking

Materials

Plastics/Plastics technology

Ceramics

Glass

Metals and semiconductors

Composites and hybrid materials

Biomaterials

Renewable raw materials

Other materials

Life sciences

Medical technology

Biotechnology

Pharmaceutical industry

Hospital and rehab hospital

Food industry

Information and communication technology

Micro- and nano technologies

Microsystems technology/microelectronics

Nano technology

Measurement and control technology/Sensor technology

robotics

Industrial robotics

Service robotics

Safety engineering

Detection of hazardous substances

Identification, access control, biometry

IT-security

Fire protection and emergency equipment

Protection against burglary and theft

Hazard alert and communication

Technical security

Equipment for civil security institutions

Aerospace industries

Cultural and creative industries

Cultural industry

Music industry

Book market

Art market

Film industry

Broadcasting industry

Performing arts market

Design industry

Architectural market

Press market

Creative industries

Advertising market

Software and games industry

Other cultural and creative industries

Service centers

Logistics

Construction technology

all fields of specialization

Industrial production and systems

Sustainable and smart mobility & logistics

Healthy living and the healthcare sector

Sustainable energy supply and resource management

ICT, innovative and production-related services

Products, operations, technologies:

Employees:

R&D facilities

Thuringia offers about 400 fully developed and immediately available industrial and commercial sites of all sizes. Our online database gives you an overview of potential properties. In combination with our Company Database, that lists more than 4,000 approved profiles of Thuringian companies, you can also check which companies are located at your chosen site. In addition, this search function is also available for research institutions.